match

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. One that is exactly like another; a counterpart.
2. n. One that is like another in one or more specified qualities: He is John's match for bravery.
3. n. One that is able to compete equally with another: The boxer had met his match.
4. n. One that closely resembles or harmonizes with another: The napkins were a nice match for the tablecloth.
5. n. A pair, each one of which resembles or harmonizes with the other: The colors were a close match.
6. n. Sports A game or contest in which two or more persons, animals, or teams oppose and compete with each other: a soccer match.
7. n. Sports A tennis contest won by the player or side that wins a specified number of sets, usually two out of three or three out of five.
8. n. A marriage or an arrangement of marriage: a royal match.
9. n. A person viewed as a prospective marriage partner.
10. v. To be exactly like; correspond exactly.
11. v. To be like with respect to specified qualities.
12. v. To resemble or harmonize with: The coat matches the dress.
13. v. To adapt or suit so that a balanced or harmonious result is achieved; cause to correspond: You should match your deeds to your beliefs.
14. v. To find or produce a counterpart to: It's difficult to match the color of old paint.
15. v. To fit together or cause to fit together.
16. v. To join or give in marriage.
17. v. To place in opposition or competition; pit: She matched her skill against all comers.
18. v. To provide with an adversary or competitor.
19. v. To do as well as or better than in competition; equal.
20. v. To set in comparison; compare: beauty that could never be matched.
21. v. To provide funds so as to equal or complement: The government will match all private donations to the museum.
22. v. To flip or toss (coins) and compare the sides that land face up.
23. v. To couple (electric circuits) by means of a transformer.
24. v. To be a close counterpart; correspond.
25. n. A narrow piece, usually of wood or cardboard, coated on one end with a compound that ignites when scratched against a rough or chemically treated surface.
26. n. An easily ignited cord or wick, formerly used to detonate powder charges or to fire cannons and muzzle-loading firearms.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A companion or fellow; a person or thing considered in comparison with another; one of a pair, or of a possible pair, as a married or marriageable man or woman, a competitor, or an agreeing or harmonizing object.
2. n. A person or thing that is equal to or on equal terms with another in any respect; one fit or qualified to mate or cope with another; a peer: as, I am no match for you in argument.
3. n. A pair; a couple; two persons, things, or sets mated or suited to each other: as, the horses are an exact match in height, color, or gait.
4. n. A mating or pairing; a coupling; a joining of two persons, things, or sets for any purpose. Specifically— A joining in marriage; a marriage engagement.
5. n. An engagement for a contest or game; the contest or game itself: as, a match at billiards; a shooting-match; the terms of a match.
6. n. Hence An agreement or engagement in general; a bargain.
7. To mate or couple; bring together in association or cooperation; join in action, comparison, contest, or competition: as, they are well matched; to match coins in gaming; to match cruelty with cunning.
8. To join suitably or conformably; bring into agreement; make harmonious or correspondent: as, a pair of matched horses; to match the parts of a machine.
9. To be a match for; be able to compete with; equal: as, no one can match him in his specialty.
10. To furnish or show a match, counterpart, or competitor for; find or provide something to agree or harmonize with: as, to match combatants for any contest; to match a jewel or a ribbon.
11. To contend.
12. To form a union; become joined or mated, as in marriage.
13. To be of corresponding size, figure, or quality; tally; suit; harmonize; correspond: as, these colors do not match.—
14. n. The wick of a lamp or candle.
15. n. In general, anything that takes fire readily either from a spark or by friction, and is used for retaining, conveying, and communicating fire. Formerly, hemp, flax, cotton, or tow dipped in sulphur, coarse paper saturated with niter, a species of dry wood called touchwood, etc., were in common use as matches; and for military purposes a slow-burning cord was used. (See match-cord, match-lock, match-tub.) Early in the nineteenth century an improvement was introduced in the form of a thin slip of wood tipped with sulphur or other combustible matter, which ignited when brought into contact with phosphorus contained in a box or vial. All other domestic devices of the kind, however, were superseded by the friction-match, which was introduced about 1830. See locofoco, lucifer, congreve, vesuvian, fusee, and vesta.
16. n. In a special sense, a slow-match having the form of line or cord of indefinite length. See match-cord.
17. n. A match-lock musket.
18. To purify, as a vessel, by burning a match or matches in it.
19. In building, to bring to a uniform width or thickness by any process, either by sorting and arranging the material or by cutting down some pieces to correspond with others: thus, planks are said to be of matched width.
20. In logging. See mate, transitive verb, 3.

Wiktionary

1. n. sports Sporting event such as a boxing meet, a baseball game, or a cricket match.
2. n. Someone with a measure of an attribute equaling or exceeding the object of comparison.
3. n. A marriage.
4. n. Suitability.
5. n. Equivalence; a state of correspondence.
6. n. A pair of items or entities with mutually suitable characteristics.
7. v. intransitive To agree, to be equal, to correspond to.
8. v. transitive To make a successful match or pairing.
9. v. transitive To equal or exceed in achievement.
10. v. obsolete To unite in marriage, to mate.
11. n. Device made of wood or paper, at the tip coated with chemicals that ignite with the friction of being dragged (struck) against a rough dry surface.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Anything used for catching and retaining or communicating fire, made of some substance which takes fire readily, or remains burning some time; esp., a small strip or splint of wood or cardboard dipped at one end in a substance which can be easily ignited by friction, as a preparation of phosphorus or chlorate of potassium.
2. n. A person or thing equal or similar to another; one able to mate or cope with another; an equal; a mate.
3. n. A bringing together of two parties suited to one another, as for a union, a trial of skill or force, a contest, or the like.
4. n. A contest to try strength or skill, or to determine superiority; a sporting contest; an emulous struggle.
5. n. A matrimonial union; a marriage.
6. n. An agreement, compact, etc.
7. n. A candidate for matrimony; one to be gained in marriage.
8. n. Equality of conditions in contest or competition, or one who provides equal competition to another in a contest.
9. n. Suitable combination or bringing together; that which corresponds or harmonizes with something else.
10. n. (Founding) A perforated board, block of plaster, hardened sand, etc., in which a pattern is partly imbedded when a mold is made, for giving shape to the surfaces of separation between the parts of the mold.
11. v. To be a mate or match for; to be able to complete with; to rival successfully; to equal.
12. v. To furnish with its match; to bring a match, or equal, against; to show an equal competitor to; to set something in competition with, or in opposition to, as equal.
13. v. To oppose as equal; to contend successfully against.
14. v. To make or procure the equal of, or that which is exactly similar to, or corresponds with
15. v. To make equal, proportionate, or suitable; to adapt, fit, or suit (one thing to another).
16. v. To marry; to give in marriage.
17. v. To fit together, or make suitable for fitting together; specifically, to furnish with a tongue and a groove, at the edges.
18. v. To be united in marriage; to mate.
19. v. To be of equal, or similar, size, figure, color, or quality; to tally; to suit; to correspond.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. provide funds complementary to
2. v. be equal or harmonize
3. v. make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching
4. n. lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical; ignites with friction
5. n. an exact duplicate
6. n. a pair of people who live together
7. n. a formal contest in which two or more persons or teams compete
8. n. a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
9. n. the score needed to win a match
10. v. make correspond or harmonize
11. n. something that resembles or harmonizes with
12. n. a person regarded as a good matrimonial prospect
13. v. be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
14. v. give or join in marriage
15. v. satisfy or fulfill
16. v. set into opposition or rivalry
17. n. a burning piece of wood or cardboard
18. v. be equal to in quality or ability
19. v. bring two objects, ideas, or people together